The present invention relates to surveillance and security systems and, more particularly, to an interactive wireless surveillance and security system, wherein a portable command unit is capable of two-way audiovisual communication with and controlling of a portion of the surveillance and security system installed at a remote location.
The prevalence of crime in any locale may urge a property owner in that locale to install a security system on that property, wherein such property may comprise, for example, a house, a commercial building, a car, a boat, or the like. However, typically available systems for providing surveillance and/or security for such property may have limitations which may not be desirable for the property owner. For example, commercially available security devices may be installed on the property, but such devices may only provide for local alerts of security breaches. That is, if security of the property is breached, a siren or alarm on the property is sounded so as to attempt to scare off the perpetrator or draw bystander attention to the property being breached. However, such devices may sometimes be readily defeated or, in areas where such devices are commonplace, may be ignored by bystanders altogether. Further, in remote areas, the alarm or siren may not be heard by anyone at all. In addition, if an alarm is activated, the cause or perpetrator may remain unknown since the offensive event is typically not recorded. As such, a local system may only be effective if the property owner is within the vicinity and is able to take immediate action.
Alternatively, commercial security services may be contracted to monitor the security devices from a central location and to dispatch emergency personnel in the event that an alarm is triggered on the property. However, such services may require costly monitoring agreements, emergency personnel may not respond in a timely manner, and the property owner may not be available or timely notified of the alarm event. As such, the property owner may be dissatisfied with the extent of protection available with such a system since the ability of someone to take immediate action in the event of an alarm is also limited. Thus, there exists a need for a surveillance and security system for a premises or property capable of providing an expedited alarm notification to the property owner, regardless of the proximity of the owner with respect to the property, while providing sufficient detail to the property owner regarding the nature of the alarm and the related events transpiring at the property.
In some instances, the event or person causing the alarm at the property is known to the property owner, or may be the property owner himself, wherein the activation of the alarm is inadvertent or accidental. The resulting false alarm may unnecessarily disturb bystanders and/or neighbors and may serve to further the indifference of bystanders to such alarms. If the property owner is not in the area and able to reset or cancel the alarm, unnecessary central monitoring services may be used and emergency response units dispatched to the property, thereby possibly resulting in costly charges to the property owner and waste of limited emergency response resources. Thus, there exists a need for a surveillance and security system capable of allowing the property owner to be timely notified of an alarm event on the property while allowing the property to be surveyed with sufficient detail to allow the nature of the alarm to be identified and addressed.
Still further, even though the property has a surveillance and security system installed thereon, the nature of a threat may not necessarily be against the property itself. For example, the property owner may return to the property to find that a perpetrator is waiting to accost the property owner himself and has no interest in the protected property. Typically, the surveillance and security system would not discern such a situation as an alarm event since, for example, the situation may be outside the scope of protection or the owner may have already disabled the system. Thus, there exists a need for a surveillance and security system capable of allowing the property owner to assess the security status of the property prior to approaching that property. In some instances, it may also be desirable for such a system to provide the property owner with a periodic status update of the property or allow the property owner to conduct an on-demand assessment of the property.
The above and other needs are met by the present invention which, in one embodiment, provides a surveillance and security system adapted to be applicable to a premises. The system comprises a system component installed on and capable of interacting with the premises. A wireless command unit is configured to communicate with and control the system component from a remotely-disposed location with respect thereto. The system component is configured to perform an examination of the premises and to send a corresponding surveillance signal to the command unit. The command unit is configured to send a broadcast signal to the system component for a corresponding broadcast to the premises. The command unit is thereby capable of two-way communication with the system component so as to provide remote surveillance and security for the premises.
Another advantageous aspect of the present invention comprises a method of providing surveillance and security with a surveillance and security system, comprising a system component and a wireless command unit, adapted for application to a premises. According to such a method, a surveillance signal is sent from the system component installed on and capable of interacting with the premises to the wireless command unit remotely disposed with respect thereto. The command unit is configured to provide at least one of an audio indicia and a video indicia of the surveillance signal. In addition, at least one of a control signal and a broadcast signal may be sent from the command unit to the system component. The system component is responsive to the control signal and is configured to provide at least one of an audio indicia and a video indicia of the broadcast signal to the premises. The system component and the command unit thereby cooperate to provide two-way communication therebetween so as to facilitate remote surveillance and security for the premises.
Accordingly, embodiments of the present invention provide a surveillance and security system for a premises or property capable of providing an expedited alarm notification to the property owner, regardless of the proximity of the owner with respect to the property, while providing sufficient detail to the property owner regarding the nature of the alarm and the related events transpiring at the property. Further, embodiments of the present invention allow the property to be surveyed with sufficient detail to allow the nature of the alarm to be immediately identified and addressed by the property owner. In addition, embodiments of the present invention are capable of allowing the property owner to assess the security status of the property prior to approaching that property, for example, as a periodic status update of the property provided to the property owner or by allowing the property owner to conduct an on-demand assessment of the property. Accordingly, embodiments of the present invention provide significant advantages as detailed herein.